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United States Patent |
5,221,265
|
List
|
June 22, 1993
|
Attachment patch
Abstract
An attachment patch for fastening medical accessories, such as cannulae, to
the human skin, includes a carrier material provided with a
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a protective layer covering the
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and being provided with a lift-up type
flap for fastening this cannula. The flap is divided into two fastening
strips by a center cut, which preferably extends beyond the length of the
flap.
Inventors:
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List; Harald (Neuwied, DE)
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Assignee:
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Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG (Neuwied, DE)
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Appl. No.:
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857340 |
Filed:
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March 25, 1992 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Mar 27, 1991[DE] | 9103742[U] |
Current U.S. Class: |
604/180; 128/DIG.26 |
Intern'l Class: |
A61M 025/02 |
Field of Search: |
604/174,180,177
128/640,DIG. 26
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
2159947 | May., 1939 | Gansel | 128/DIG.
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3422817 | Jan., 1969 | Mishkin et al. | 128/DIG.
|
3683911 | Aug., 1972 | McCormick | 604/180.
|
3918446 | Nov., 1975 | Buttaravoli | 604/180.
|
3927676 | Aug., 1985 | Schultz.
| |
4074397 | Feb., 1978 | Rosin | 128/DIG.
|
4275721 | Jun., 1981 | Olson | 604/180.
|
4392857 | Jul., 1983 | Beran | 128/DIG.
|
4460356 | Jul., 1984 | Moseley | 128/DIG.
|
4534762 | Aug., 1985 | Heyer.
| |
4915694 | Apr., 1990 | Yamamoto et al. | 604/180.
|
5135506 | Aug., 1992 | Gentelia et al. | 128/DIG.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
830113 | Jul., 1938 | FR.
| |
Primary Examiner: Hirsch; Paul J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Collard & Roe
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An attachment patch for fastening a medical accessory such as a cannula
and the like to human skin, comprising
a carrier material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer;
a protective layer covering the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and
said carrier material provided with a lift-up flap for holding said
accessory in place; said flap being divided into two fastening strips by a
central cut, and said flap having a length, with the central cut extending
beyond the length of the flap.
2. The attachment patch according to claim 1,
further comprising two lateral cuts with one on each side of the center
cut;
said central cut extending beyond the lateral cuts of equal length by such
a distance, which is approximately the width of a fastening strip in the
end portion of the cuts;
said fastening strips foldable along a lateral component and having folding
edges running diagonally to the direction of said fastening strips and in
opposite direction to each other.
3. The attachment patch according to claim 1, wherein the patch has a
narrow side with an edge;
wherein the fastening strips are formed by three unidirectional cuts
starting from the edge of a narrow side of the patch.
4. The attachment patch according to claim 3, wherein said patch is a round
patch, said cuts are from any point of the patch edge and running
substantially up to the center of the patch.
5. The attachment patch according to claim 2, wherein the width of the flap
which is formed by the two fastening strips in the region of the folding
edges at least corresponds to the diameter of the medical accessory to be
held.
6. The attachment patch according to claim 5,
further comprising longitudinal edges for the patch;
wherein the cuts forming the flap run substantially parallel to the
longitudinal edges of the patch.
7. The attachment patch according to claim 5, wherein the cuts forming the
flap form an acute angle to the central cut which, with respect to said
central cut, is a symmetric acute angle.
8. The attachment patch according to claim 7, wherein the acute angles
which are formed by the two outer cuts with the central cut are placed
such that the width of the fastening strips at the beginning of the cuts
is larger than in the region of the folding edges, or vice versa.
9. The attachment patch according to claim 8, wherein the carrier material
of the patch is a textile fabric.
10. The attachment patch according to claim 8 wherein the carrier material
of the patch is a plastic film material.
11. The attachment patch according to claim 8 or 10
wherein said patch includes a fixing portion, said fixing portion and said
fastening strips including said protective layer,
wherein the protective layers of the fixing portion of the patch and of the
fastening strips are removable independently of each other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment patch for fastening medical
accessories such as catheters, cannulae, probes, drainages and the like to
the human skin, comprising a carrier material provided with a
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and a protective layer covering the
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and being provided with an upward
folding flap to keep the cannula in place.
2. The Prior Art
The typical accessories mentioned above, such as "cannulae" used in medical
therapy, need to be reliably fixed. Very rarely, attachment is effected by
sewing. In most cases, self-adhesive, partially pre-fabricated, and
sometimes individually prepared, fastening strips are used. These known
prior art solutions do not offer satisfactory results.
German Patent No. 31 05 187 (A1) describes a fastening means of this type,
in which a patch is provided with an attachment strip in the form of a
flap. This flap is formed by two parallel cuts starting from the edge of
the patch toward the middle portion thereof and can be spirally wound
around the cannula to be fixed after having been lifted up. Attachment of
the cannula is thus achieved; however, stability and security of the
resulting attachment are not satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an
attachment patch for fastening medical accessories which ensures simple,
safe and stable attachment of the cannula.
This object is achieved according to the present invention by an attachment
patch which includes a carrier material provided with a pressure-sensitive
adhesive layer and a protective layer covering s id adhesive layer and
which is provided with a lift-up flap to fasten the cannula.
This attachment patch is characterized by the following features: the flap
is divided into two strips by a center cut, preferably extending beyond
the length of the flap; the two strips can be pulled up and wound in
opposite helical directions like a spiral around the cannula. The central
cut preferably extends beyond the length of the flap, e.g., by one width
of one of the resulting fastening strips, that the folding edges running
diagonally to the direction of the flap and in opposite direction to each
other assume the form of an arrowhead directed toward the end of the flap.
Thus, the two strips formed by the central cut and provided with a lateral
component, can be folded up mirror-invertedly about the diagonally
extending folding lines.
Since the flap is partitioned by three unidirectional cuts starting from
one narrow side of the attachment patch or, if the embodiment is a round
patch, from any point along the patch edge, two fastening strips, as
compared to the known attachment patch, can be wound like a spiral in
opposite helical directions around the cannula to be held. Due to the
folding edges running diagonally to the outside edges or boundary lines of
the fastening strips, there are practically no creases formed when the
strips are applied to the cannula.
In a preferred embodiment, the width of the flap consisting of the two
fastening strips is determined in such a manner that, in the region of the
folding edges, it at least corresponds to the diameter of the cannula to
be attached. If the inner edges of the patch in the region of the folding
edges are allowed to protrude slightly, even larger cannulae can be
fastened.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the protective layer is
divided in such a manner that the protective strips covering the fastening
strips may be separated from the rest of the protective layer and,
preferably, pulled off individually. By means of this, the adhesive side
of the fastening strips is protected from getting uncovered on pulling off
the removable protective layer, which is made of suitable known materials,
since this could make it more difficult to use and to apply the strips. In
addition, the protective layer may optionally protect the actual patch in
all directions to facilitate the handling thereof.
The shape and dimensions of the attachment patch according to the present
invention are determined from the intended purpose of the application. The
carrier material may be a textile fabric or a suitable film material. The
known pressure-sensitive adhesives compatible with the skin are used as
adhesives.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent
from the following detailed description considered in connection with the
accompanying drawing which discloses two embodiments of the present
invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawing is designed
for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits
of the invention.
In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters denote similar
elements throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the attachment patch according to the present
invention prior to application thereof to the skin;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an applied patch according to FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment of the attachment patch
according to the present invention prior to application to the skin.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning now in detail to the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a rectangular attachment
patch 1 of FIG. 1 being provided with a flap 2 having the fastening strips
3 and 4. The flap 2 is formed by three unidirectional cuts 5, 6 and 7
running substantially parallel to the longitudinal sides 22 and 26 of the
patch from one narrow side 24 of the patch 1 toward the other narrow side
25. Cut 6 is preferably along center line C.sub.L thereof. The central cut
6 extends beyond the lateral cuts 5, 7 by a length which approximately
corresponds to the width of a fastening strip 3, 4 in the region of the
folding edges 8, 9. When the fastening strips 3, 4 are pulled up, a
folding edge 8 and 9, respectively, is created, each forming an angle A of
approximately 45.degree. to the direction of the cut. The folding edge
lines 8, 9 together with the central cut 6 form a kind of arrow. Thus,
substantially wrinkle-free application of the fastening strips 3, 4 to the
cannula 11 shown in FIG. 2 is possible.
Furthermore, the cuts 5 and 7 forming the flap 2 generally run parallel to
the longitudinal sides 22 and 26 of the attachment patch. They may also
form a symmetric acute angle B.sub.1 or B.sub.2 thereto, preferably to the
central cut 6. The acute angles B .sub.1 or B.sub.2 which are formed
between the two outer cuts 5, 7 and the central cut 6 may run in such a
way that the width of the fastening strips at the beginning of the cuts
5-7 is larger than that in the region of the folding edges 8 or 9, or
vice-versa. In any case, the selection of the length, the width and the
direction of width of the fastening strips depends on the actual intended
purpose of the attachment patch 1 according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows in perspective view a applied attachment patch 10 and a
cannula 11 held by the fastening strips 3 and 4. These strips 3 and 4 are
wound around the cannula 11 in a spiral helical direction in which each
strip is wound oppositely to the other strip. The folding edges 8, 9 of
patch 10 are moved near to the cannula 11 so that the cannula lies in the
angle A formed by the folding edges 8, 9 of the lifted up fastening strips
3 and 4. Thus, it is possible to apply the fastening strips 3 and 4, which
may be folded diagonally aside, to the cannula 11 without forming
wrinkles. In particular, the cannula also forms the same angle A,
preferably in the range of approximately 45.degree. , to the adhesive area
of the patch 10. The cannula 11 is thus safely and stably held by strips 3
and 4 and fixed into position.
FIG. 3 shows, in another embodiment, an oval attachment patch 12 prior to
application to the skin of the person. The cuts 16, 17 and 18 forming the
fastening strips 14, 15 extend substantially in the direction of the major
axis or the longitudinal axis X of the oval. They do not run parallel to
each other, but are directed in such a way that the distance between the
outer cuts 16 and 18 forming the flap 13 gradually decreases from the
beginning 30 to the end 32 thereof. The outer cuts 16 and 18 may also run
parallel to each other or to the central cut 17, or they may run in
opposite directions. It is also preferred, however, that the central cut
17 lies on the major axis X and extends beyond the outer cuts 16 and 18 so
that folding edges 19 and 20 of cuts 16 and 18, respectively, are formed
which run diagonally to the central cut. This is preferably effected in
the manner described above. Angles B.sub.3 and B.sub.4 in FIG. 3
correspond, respectively, to angles B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 of FIG. 1.
It should be noted that the shape and dimension of the attachment patch 1
or 12 according to the present invention as well as the shape and
dimension of the flap 2 or 13, respectively, may be adapted to the
individual requirements in any desired manner. This assumes that the flaps
2 or 13, respectively, is divided by the two independent fastening strips
3 or 4 and 14 or 15, respectively, and that this relationship is
maintained.
The present invention has the advantages that the handling of the
attachment patch according to the present invention is particularly simple
and safe and that it can be produced simply and at a reasonable price. The
attachment patch according to the present invention provides a safe and
stable fastening means for medical accessories of the kind mentioned
hereinbefore.
While only two embodiments of the present invention have been shown and
described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may
be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
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